The Vampire Cross

3

The C building was bigger than the main A building. There were many more signs posted to give a good indication of where the supply closets, room numbers, and nurse office were at. Lilith and Cassius walked up the stairs, and Cassius knew he was running out of time. He wanted to ask her to be her friend, but just asking directly felt ridiculous.

  They turned the corner, and Lilith stopped in front of the second door. "Well, here is your room." Cassius looked up at the room number it was room C240, the same one that matched his schedule. He wished it wasn't, and he looked at her, disappointed, in himself.

"Alright, then I'll leave you now. It was a nice meeting, you Cassius." Lilith said sweetly, but not before she could even walk two steps, Cassius grabbed her wrist like a reflection. It didn't register to Cassius that he grabbed Lilith's wrist until she gasps, and he quickly released and put his hands to his sides again.

    "Um. I wanted to say." Just say it, Cassius thought, it won't hurt. "If..If." Come on. "If we could be friends. Since you know I'm new...you seem like someone I would love to have as a...friend." He said, feeling his face wanting to turn red.

    Lilith chuckled. "Is that what you were worried about," She smiled.

"Um..what?" He was bemused. Then he wondered if it was possible she could read his feelings and had an idea that he liked her. "You knew something was bugging me?" He asked.

   "Well, I have always been sensitive to other's emotions. However, I can only feel a certain amount of what others feel." Lilith admitted shyly, similar to how Cassius felt.

   "So...is that a yes; that we can be friends?" He couldn't help but ask again.

    "Of course we can," Lilith said

     Cassius couldn't help but smile this time, his entire body getting warm with delight. "Cool, maybe I can see you later, then?"

   She nodded. "Definitely." Lilith looked at her phone and saw the time. then looked at Cassius. "I need to head to my meeting now."

     "I understand. Bye, Lilith."

   "Bye, Cassius." She turned and walked away, out the C building, and proceeded to the D building into the student council's office. She wouldn't dare be late for her meeting; it could profoundly impact her image.

    For the rest of the day at school, Cassius found it challenging to survive the day. Science wasn't his strong suit for what he was interested in his second period, lunch seemed to short, the battle class was hardcore training from which it involved lots of running, and the last class math was something he always struggled on, it was just his first period of English that felt like he did a decent job, despite how Ms.Wale didn't really enjoy her teaching. It made Cassius wonder why she reminds as a teacher.

    Since the last bell rang that indicated class was over Cassius went to his locker and put all of his books away, he wanted to be as light as possible, even though he had a few pages of homework he needed to do and just shoved his homework in his backpack. He didn't necessarily care for school; it was just something that needed to be done. Cassius walked out of the B building. The moment he stepped out, he looked at the D building, thinking about the clubs that were there, and he says four students come out. What caught his attention was how it seemed Lilith was the main one in the group, and the other three students talked to her as though they were waiting for her opinion.

    Cassius just continued to walk as most of the students flew home, drove, or teleported to get back.

   Not even a few seconds passed, and Cassius could feel a pair of eyes staring at him, different eyes this time. For some reason, he thought it was Lilith, but he was wrong. Once Cassius looked to his right, his mind was in disbelief and thought his mind was playing tricks on him. The student seemed so familiar; straight medium length black hair parted to the side, along with dull brown feathery wings, with green emerald eyes. She was full of piercings, and there was even a tattoo on her left arm like a sleeve. She didn't also wear her black and blue uniform as the other students' did. The moment she knew Cassius was looking, she opened her wings to their full length as though she was showing them off. But the moment she pushed off from the ground and aimed towards Cassius, Cassius couldn't help but shut his eyes and stood not moving, waiting for the impact to hit him. When it didn't come, he opened his eyes and saw the emerald eyes looking at him intensely. There were so many mixed emotions he felt about this meeting—pain, anger, regret, hope.

   "You look familiar," Cassius said out loud.

   That one comment sent the harpy's blood boiling as her eyes glowed a hue of green as she lifted her leg and kicked him. "You asshole!" she cried out.

   It happened so fast, and Cassius flew a couple of inches away from her. He landed on the ground hard enough to have a bloody scrap on his legs and arms. The student council looked at the scene to the left of them.

   "A fight is happening, president. Do you need our assistance?" Jackie, the secretary said. Jackie's blue hair was in a high ponytail as she fixed her glasses as though a way to get a better look at Lilith. It seemed her glasses seemed to catch the glint of light, not allowing anyone to see her eyes, that it made her weirdly look more intelligent.

   "I can handle a harpy and the new student on my own. Pleases go on ahead without me." Lilith said politely." The three nodded their heads without compliant and went back inside the D building. Lilith walked up to the science with the harpy and new student.

  Cassius felt a pair of arms go under his armpits helping him stand, and when he looked up, he was surprised to see it was Lilith helping him; his eyes went wide for a second, his heart beating fiercely. "Lilith?"

    Lilith let go of Cassius smiling then looked at the harpy in front of them; her complete harpy form was out as the top was human, and her legs were bird legs as her arms were her fully grown wings. She looked unstable, and Lilith couldn't precisely pinpoint her feelings.

   "Skylar, what is the meaning of this fight? He's a new student, and I'm sure that whatever he did-" Lilith got cut off as Skylar hissed despite being a part bird.

   "Shut up, Lilith. He might be new here, but I have known him since we were seven." Skylar said with venom in her voice; she was hurt. And she wondered what made Skylar this angry. Lilith was used to seeing Skylar getting in trouble all the time, but somehow this time, this time felt different, it felt more personal than it usually did.

   Seven? Cassius thought. Then the number clicked in his head, and his instincts were right about precisely who she was. "Skylar Miller, is that you?" Which just made him receive Skylar's eyebrow wt o clench more, confirming he was correct. Cassius couldn't help but shake a bit, recalling the memories of what she did to him. "Y-You grown up a lot since the last time I met you," he said nervously and barely could maintain eye contact with her.

  Lilith sensed a different change on Cassius that landed more towards fear. And she had questions. Cassius went straight to holding on to his cross that barely seemed to affect how he felt, but it was still a huge difference to him the coolness of the metal soothe him.

   "Skylar, what's the problem here? Why are you so angry at Cassius?"Cassius looked at Lilith, even though he would just believe it sounded like she cared about his well being, his safety.

   "He didn't recognize me! Even after he hated me so much to the point, he ignored and broke up with me. Me? Cassius, there's one thing breaking it off with me, but not even recognize me, I can't believe you. You son of a bitch!" Now Skylar was crying, her tears were full falling to the ground, and her wings sagged on the ground like they were defeated. After a few seconds of calming down, she took a step forward, which made Cassius flinch. Then she took another level, and by the time Cassius knew she was walking towards him. Cassius is speaking to shake again. He wasn't ready to see her again. Not now, not ever.